Lungs are one of the most vital organs, not only in the human body but in every mammal. A crucial part of your Biology curriculum, read this article to learn about the important facts of lungs and related ailments.

Lungs are of central importance in the human respiratory system. It enables gaseous exchange between both inhaled and exhaled air with that of blood.

Respiratory system facts indicate that the system as a whole and the lungs in particular

help to allow the oxygen present in the air to be taken within the body. It also releases waste of carbon dioxide into the air.

Parts of Lungs

Let us take a look at the structure of this organ before we move on to know more about

lungs.

Lungs are a pair of air-filled spongy organs that are located on both sides of the chest. The windpipe or trachea passes inhaled oxygen to lungs through fine tubular branches which are called bronchi.

The bronchioles end in minuscule air sacs known as alveoli. Inhaled oxygen undergoes absorption into the blood within the alveoli.

Lungs are also covered by a fine layer of tissue called pleura. It primarily acts as a

lubricant for the extraction and contraction of lungs with every single breath.

Functions of Lungs

Apart from enabling breathing, lungs perform other functions such as -

1. Lungs engage in filtering small blood clots and air bubbles.

2. It can act as a shock absorber for a heart in instances of mild collision.

3. The mucus that covers respiratory passages helps in trapping bacteria and dust particles.

4. Lungs also act as blood reservoirs which may vary from 500 ml to 1000 ml.

5. Airflow through the lungs enables speech.

Diseases of Lungs

1. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD): A patient suffering from COPD experiences difficulty in exhaling, leading to shortness of

breath. The major cause of COPD has been found to be smoking.

2. Chronic Bronchitis: It involves frequent coughing with difficulty in breathing. Chronic Bronchitis is

a variant of COPD.

3. Asthma : Asthma may be triggered by air pollution, viral infections and allergies. It causes wheezing, shortness of breath, spasm and inflammation of the bronchi.

4. Pneumonia : Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria cause infection in the lungs.

5. Pleurisy : Pleurisy causes inflammation of the pleura, causing difficulty in inhalation.

6. Tuberculosis : Mycobacterium tuberculosis causes pneumonia to progress. Symptoms of tuberculosis include weight loss, fever, cough and night sweats, among others.

Importance of Lungs

Lungs are an important organ in our bodies that help us breathe
The air that we breathe in contains oxygen and we need it to survive
Lungs help in filtering out carbon dioxide from the body
Lungs also filter small blood clots
They can act as a shock absorber for the heart when it comes to collisions
They help in clearing mucus
They help humans speak

How to Prepare Notes on Lungs in Biology?

Students of Biology can read and prepare for Biology from Vedantu’s online tutoring platform. They can scan this note and then write down all the concepts in a sequential manner. They can take brief notes of what’s on the page and then write them as per their own understanding of the topics.

They can use bullet points, illustrations and coloured pens to mark key portions as highlighting the important parts makes it easier to go through them at the time of revision. They can then compare whatever they have jotted with what’s actually on the page for an overall analysis.

Did You Know?

One of the amazing fact about the respiratory system is that human lungs are not of

the same size. The right lung is larger than their left lung as this latter has to accommodate the heart.

Test Your Knowledge

I. Gaseous exchange between blood and inhaled air is known as -

(a) Circulatory respiration

(b) Internal respiration

(d) Cellular respiration

ii. Which of the following relates to a maximum volume of air that may be inhaled into the lungs with full force intake?

(a) Inspiratory capacity

(b) Total lung capacity

(d) Vital capacity

Solutions: i. (c) External respiration, ii. (d) Vital capacity

Learn more about lungs and other related topics through our online classes. You can also download a free pdf solution that will enhance your knowledge. You can now even download our Vedantu app for easier access to these notes and online interactive sessions.

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FAQs on Facts About Lungs

1. Where can students revise parts of their lungs?

All students can revise parts of their lungs if they read from Facts About Lungs on Vedantu. This page on Lungs in general is quite informative and has all the facts that are usually needed for the students to know. This page has been created by expert Biology teachers and so, contains only what is pertinent. The syllabus course guidelines have been kept in mind while coming up with this page. This will enable all the students to secure higher marks in their exams. Parts of a lung such as a windpipe, bronchi, alveoli and pleura have been explained here.

2. Do students need to know about the chapter on Lungs in Biology?

Students need to be well acquainted with all chapters of Biology. Selective studying always has its disadvantages and so must never be adhered to. All students can refer to Facts About Lungs on Vedantu and feel more at ease with this chapter. This chapter in Biology is very scoring and reading from this page will surely benefit the students. It has a compact description of the lungs, their parts, functions and diseases and so has covered all the aspects. Reading this page will put students on the right track before they attempt an assignment on it.

3. What are the functions of our lungs?

Our lungs serve a number of functions. Some of which are filtering carbon dioxide, removing blood clots, protecting our heart from shocks, helping us take in oxygen. They have other functions as well that have been elaborated upon in Facts About Lungs on Vedantu’s e-learning platform. The page on Lungs is so comprehensive that just reading through it once will assist the students in understating the chapter on Lungs. They can revise from here before a test as this page has covered the entire syllabus. Questions that will come for their exams will be from the portions included here.

4. What is Asthma?

Asthma is a condition of the lung that’s triggered by a pollutant. Allergies and viral infections could also aggravate it to quite an extent. It causes difficulty in breathing, wheezing, spasms etc. Students can know more about the condition if they go to Facts About Lungs on Vedantu. This page has input on asthma as well as other lung-related ailments. Reading from here will give the students a clearer picture of what lung ailments are and why they are caused. This page is for all those who need to fall back on reliable study material for the purpose of clarity.

5. Does regular exercise help make our lungs strong?

Yes, regular exercise strengthens our lungs to quite an extent. They increase the lung’s capacity and the blow flow to the lungs. If the students read from Facts About Lungs on Vedantu, they will understand how our lungs can be made stronger. The tips for the same have been included in this chapter. The page on Lungs has all the facts and details that are required by the students and is like a guidebook for them. Going through it will shed light on all those lung-related concepts that they weren’t aware of.

6. What is the major function of lungs?

One of the main facts about lungs is that of gaseous exchange which is known as respiration. Fresh oxygen enters into the blood, and carbon dioxide leaves the blood.

7. What is the role of lungs in the circulatory system?

Deoxygenated blood is carried to lungs by pulmonary arteries. In lungs, carbon dioxide is released, and oxygen is absorbed.

8. What are the major symptoms of lung cancer?

Major symptoms of lung cancer are – coughing of blood, hoarseness, chest pain, shortness of breath, persistent cough.